His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 57

Merrick appeared almost immediately.

Wearing a lazy smirk, he glanced at Whitley. "Had a fight with Clive? Why didn't you leave together?"

She could barely breathe. There was absolutely no way she was getting in a car with him.

She looked at the older woman. "Esther, Clive actually just texted me. He’s coming back to get me. So, no need to trouble Merrick."

"Oh, is that so?" Esther replied. "Well then..."

Merrick was incredibly sharp. Catching the micro-expressions on Whitley’s face, he instantly figured out the lie.

He cut off his grandmother with a knowing grin. "Well, if Clive is on his way, I won't drive you. But I'll wait out here with you. I should probably say hi to him anyway."

Whitley took a deep breath.

Clive wasn't coming back for her. He had already abandoned her. That was a fact. She knew better than anyone that he was likely getting cozy with Yelena right now.

Forcing a smile, she said, "Sure."

Under the table, she quickly sent her location to Chisholm Vance, begging him to come pick her up.

Two seconds later, a reply popped up on her screen: [Be there in 30.]

Relief flooded her chest.

Merrick sat down beside her, crossing his legs. "You look awful. Catching a cold?"

She shook her head, keeping as much distance between them as the sofa allowed.

"I don't bite. Why are you sitting so far away?" he asked. "Look, about what happened in the garden... I apologize. Okay?"

He shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Don't fight it. You're the one who's going to suffer if you catch a fever."

Whitley didn't waste a second. She practically bolted toward Chisholm's car, sliding into the passenger seat without so much as a goodbye to Merrick.

Once the door clicked shut, she let out a massive breath, collapsing against the leather seat.

The heater was blasting, but it couldn't chase away the bone-deep chill inside her. She rubbed her arms, pulling her coat tighter. Her fingers were ice-cold, and her face remained a ghostly white.

Glancing at her in the rearview mirror, Chisholm frowned. "Why isn't Clive with you? Shouldn't he be taking care of you?"

Curled in on herself, her voice was barely a whisper. "He's busy."

She knew exactly what he was busy with. She just didn't want to say it out loud and humiliate herself further.

Chisholm knew exactly how toxic her marriage was.

He stayed quiet for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I thought you two were already finalizing the divorce. Why did you even bother showing up to his family’s event just to get treated like this?"